Bruised Secrets
by MakeMeFree
Summary: It's summer recess, and the swim club is excited to spend time together. But Haru will be gone for a month. Haru is sick, but no one knows exactly how sick he really is. MakoHaru, some NagisaRei. Rated M for possible "mature" interactions. Title will most likely change!
1. Chapter 1: I'm leaving

Haru sat in his desk quietly, holding a pencil in one hand and propping his head up with the other to look out the window. The sun was shining radiantly in a clear blue sky, making everything look happy and beautiful. It seemed to be a great way to begin summer recess.

"Okay everyone, I'll see you after summer!" Amakata-sensei announced with a bright smile. Haru sighed softly and gathered his things, standing up and glancing over to his best friend who sat beside him. The brunette smiled up at Haru and stood, having to look down slightly now to maintain eye contact.

"Let's go find Nagisa and Rei. We can all go hang out for our first afternoon of recess!" Makoto suggested jovially, as always. Haru did not say anything, but simply began walking on Makoto's right like always. It wasn't unusual for Haru to be so quiet, but Makoto felt a bit of tenseness. "Are you alright, Haru?" He asked in his motherly way. That was something Haru secretly appreciated; having Makoto to take care of him.

"I'm fine." The raven haired boy replied. Makoto sighed and walked a bit closer to Haru, close enough for their shoulders to brush together every now and again.

/

Nagisa was the first person the pair saw as they exited the school. The blond sprinted over to them from where he and Rei had been waiting under a tree, and immediately ran into Haru with a full-force hug.

"Haru-chaaaan! Now we can all spend time together!" He exclaimed unnecessarily loudly. Makoto looked in concern as Haru winced at the hug.

"Don't add the -chan, Nagisa." Haru answered, squirming his way out of Nagisa's grip. The blond then latched onto Makoto, with a loud "Mako-chaaan!" and laughed gleefully. Makoto laughed softly and returned the younger boy's hug before releasing him. The three walked-well Nagisa more accurately _pranced_\- over to Rei and sat with him in the soft grass. The tree's shadow loomed coolly over them, taking the edge off the heat of the summer.

"So what're we going to do this summer?" Rei asked, adjusting his red framed glasses on his nose. To everyone's surprised, Haru spoke up.

"I'm going away for a month."

"What?!" The three other swimmers exclaimed. Haru's face didn't change; it remained stoic and still.

"Where are you going Haru-chan?" Nagisa demanded, lower lip pushed out in a childish pout.

"Away." The freestyle swimmer replied flatly.

"Haruka-senpai, it's hardly fair to keep this from us. We're a team, and teams should support and trust each other." Rei stated matter-of-factly. Makoto noticed that Haru suddenly seemed very tired, and very unwilling to speak. Haru turned his head away a bit, glancing off in the direction of the pool and not saying a word.

"Haru-chan that's not fair!" Nagisa whimpered, reaching out and tugging on Haru's sleeve. Makoto noticed something change in Haru's expression. His straight face faltered a bit and his eyes grew the slightest bit misty, but seemed that only Makoto had noticed.

"Nagisa, leave it alone for now. Haru-chan will tell us when he's ready to. Right?" He turned toward Haru, a comforting smile on his face. The quieter boy gave a curt nod and gently tugged his arm away from Nagisa. The tiredness crept back into his features, and it was clear to the backstroke swimmer that Haru was trying to hide it.

"Well, at least tell us when you're leaving?" Rei asked, hoping to gain at least a small piece of information.

"Tomorrow morning." The group grew silent and Haru almost began to feel uncomfortable. Feeling as if the silence was a cue to leave, Haru picked up his bag and stood up. Glancing down briefly at Makoto, Haru turned and began to walk off toward his home.

"Haru, wait!" Makoto called after hum, scrambling up with his stuff and running after haru. "I'll call you guys later!" He yelled over his shoulder to the blond and blue haired boys. Nagisa and Rei looked at each other, confusion and worry written across their faces.

"Rei-chan?"

"What, Nagisa?" Rei adjusted his glasses again out of habit.

"Is spying on someone illegal?" Nagisa's magenta eyes were shining with mischief, and he was starting to smile. Rei's brow furrowed and he thought for a moment.

"Well, technically no." He answered, and as soon as he finished his sentence he was being hauled to his feet.

"Then we're going to spy on Haru-chan!" He announced, a hand on his hip and fist raised excitedly in the air. Rei groaned and rubbed his temples. It was going to be a _very _long afternoon.

/

Makoto caught up to Haru, falling in step beside him.

"Haru?" He asked. The black haired boy didn't reply, but Makoto knew he was listening. "Why are you going away?" The brunette asked, looking down at his best friend. Haru turned his gaze up to Makoto, blue eyes guarded beyond anything Makoto had ever seen in him.

"I just...need to go away." He answered shortly, shifting his eyes back to the path before them. Haru felt his arms and sides beginning to ache, and he knew what was happening beneath his blazer. His bag thumped against his side by accident, making pain crawl through his body. His mask however, did not change. It had failed him once today, and he would not let Makoto see his pain.

"But Haru, why can't you tell us where you're going? Why can't you tell _me?"_ Makoto asked, almost begging. He reached down and laced his fingers through Haru's. A familiar feeling that Haru always liked. Makoto's hand was strong and warm, and always welcome in Haru's. It wasn't odd either, as they'd held hands since they were children. Makoto did it as a comforting gesture, and Haru as a protective one.

"Mako," Haru stopped as the reached the steps to his house. "Please, just trust me." All of Haru's will to keep himself composed had been chipping away since Makoto took his hand. His face fell, looking exhausted and slightly pained. His beautiful blue eyes dulling, and his hands beginning to shake a bit.

"Haru..." Makoto reached down to take Haru's other hand, gently holding them both as he looked down at this new, vulnerable Haru.

"Promise me that you'll just trust me." Haru said, his voice even sounding tired. Makoto argued with himself inwardly.

_But I don't know where you're going Haru! You're my best friend...my everything. So I should trust you. But why can't you tell me?_ Makoto nodded then, agreeing to Haru's promise. The brunette closed his eyes for a moment to keep all of his questions at bay. And as he did, he felt something soft touch his lips. Opening his eyes, he saw that Haru had gone up on his toes, and gently kissed Makoto. Surprise and shock rang through Makoto's mind, his emerald eyes going wide. Haru pulled away, his serious face making a return.

"Thank you, Mako." He said before turning and walking briskly up the stairs to his house.

_What the...what I'm the world was that..?_ Makoto's cheeks were burning a bright red as his looked after Haru, wondering why he had just kissed him.

_But...it felt right..._

_/_

Haru quickly went into his house, closing the door to separate himself from the events that just went on. He'd loved Makoto since they were little, but until recently he always thought it was a brotherly love. Makoto didn't know where Haru was going, and Haru wasn't sure he would be back. He had to make sure Makoto saw how much he meant to the freestyle swimmer, and if that would be Haru's last memory of him, then that was fine.

Sighing and making his way to the bathroom, Haru stripped down with expert speed and turned the water on for a bath, steam rising from the water. Turning to look I'm the mirror, he was dark bruises on his arms and sides where Nagisa had hugged him. He then inspected the hand that Makoto had been holding, and saw yellowish bruises forming between his fingers. Balling his hands into fists, Haru climbed into the tub and turned off the water. Tomorrow would begin his month long leave. He would be spending four weeks in a white room, with unfamiliar people, sticking him with all sorts of needles. He would be spending a month in the hospital. Haru would start his treatment tomorrow for leukemia.


	2. Chapter 2: Spying

Author Note:

This chapter is super short, so I apologize! The next ones will be longer/better! Enjoy c:

/

/

/

"Nagisa, this feels wrong. I don't think spying on Haruka-senpai is a good idea." Rei groaned as the blond pulled him along by the arm.

"Oh Rei-chan! It'll be fine! You were a great detective when you had to follow Rin-chan at that festival!" Nagisa laughed happily. Rei sighed and trudged along behind Nagisa, both at a safe distance from where Haru and Makoto were walking ahead of them. Nagisa gasped excitedly, tugging Rei's arm to hug it.

"Ohmygosh, they're holding hands!" He squealed. Rei clapped his hand over Nagisa's mouth and held him tightly.

"You don't want them to hear you, idiot!" He hissed, keeping his eyes on the upperclassmen. Nagisa groaned and wriggled out of Rei's grip, taking his hand and dragging him along again.

"Can you hear if they're talking?" The blond asked. Rei studied them for a moment, only seeing both of them appear to say something briefly.

"I can't hear, but they are talking. Nagisa-kun, can we please leave them alone?" Rei asked, after finally resolving to walk beside the shorter boy. They still held hands for a long moment, before Rei yanked his away and blushed furiously.

"No, Rei-chan! We must find out what Haru is hiding!" Nagisa replied enthusiastically, not seeming to noticed Rei's red face. The breaststroke swimmer gasped and suddenly yanked Rei behind a wall, slamming him against the cold cement of a building.

"What?! Nagisa-kun!" Rei shouted, rubbing his arm a bit where it had hit the wall. Nagisa glared at him with a finger pressed to his lips.

"Shh! They stopped." Nagisa whispered, peeking his head slightly around then corner. They heard Haru speaking quietly, something about Makoto trusting him. Rei peered around the corner in time to see Makoto hold both of Haru's hands, his eyes closed and head down slightly. The underclassmen couldn't tell if Makoto was upset, or just at a loss for words, both of which were unusual for the bright boy. Rei tugged gently on Nagisa's shirt, a silent plea to leave before they get caught. Nagisa shook his head and excitedly pointed toward Makoto and Haru. Rei watched, his eyes widening in surprise.

Haru stood up on his toes, closing the distance between his and Makoto's faces. Their lips met, gently from what Rei could see. Makoto's eyes had opened suddenly, his face red and surprised at the kiss from his best friend. Time seemed to stand still; Rei and Nagisa caught up in watching a movie-like love scene. As Haru pulled away, his face was stoic, but his eyes seemed a bit brighter.

"Thank you, Mako." They heard him say before he turned slowly and made his way up the grey steps to his home. Makoto stood there for a long moment, looking after Haru quietly.

"Nagisa-kun, I don't think we were meant to see that." Rei said nervously, adjusting his glasses and ducking back behind the wall. Nagisa attempted to stifle a giggle as he hid back behind the wall.

"That was soooo cute!" He whispered happily, bouncing up and down like a fan girl. Rei sighed and grabbed Nagisa's arm; it was his turn to be dragged around. Rei pulled the blond with him, walking off along the wall until they reached the sidewalk near the beach.

"I wonder why Haru is leaving. Did you hear him say anything?" The blue haired boy asked, letting go of Nagisa's arm. Sadness seemed to weigh on Nagisa's shoulders as they slumped he took Rei's hand for comfort.

"No, he didn't tell Mako-chan."


	3. Chapter 3: Alone

Makoto instinctively woke up at seven, sunlight filtering warmly and softly into his room. With a lazy grunt, he pushed himself to sit up rubbing his face and running his fingers through his messy hair. Everything was quiet as he sat there, thinking about the day ahead of him.

_I wonder what we'll do today…_ He thought, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and standing. He stretched his arms high over his head, muscles stiff and aching. They shivered under his skin as he stretched harder, grabbing each elbow in turn and pushing his arms down behind his head. A yawn escaped him as his body relaxed, the tension in his muscles fading.

He could hear his parents downstairs, probably starting breakfast for him and his siblings. Ran and Ren probably wouldn't wake up for another hour, so the house was relatively quiet. Tiredly walking into his bathroom, Makoto turned on the shower watching steam rise from the hot water. He tugged off his shirt and stepped out of his boxers, tossing them into the hamper by the shower door.

_I wonder what Haru's doing today_. He found himself thinking. _Oh, right..._

He wasn't sure if Haru had left yet, honestly, so he decided to take a fast shower, washing his hair quickly and stepping out. Drying his body and toweling dry his hair as best he could, the brunette rushed to pull on a pair of boxers and jeans, along with a yellow shirt that had black sleeves. Briefly glancing in the mirror, he shook his head a bit hard, then watched his hair fall basically to where it usually was. Deciding that this would have to do, Makoto rushed down the stairs and passed his parents.

"Makoto, where are you going?" His mother called, peeking out of the kitchen.

"I, um, I'm going to see Haru! I'll be right back!" He replied, stepping out the door and shutting it quietly, as to not wake the the twins. Jogging toward the stone stairs, Makoto took them two at a time until he reached the house. His heart pounded in his chest, hands sweaty as he reached for the doorknob and turned it. It clicked welcomingly, and he pushed it open.

"Haru?" He called, stepping inside and shutting the door. By habit, Makoto made his way to the bathroom, pausing before opening the door.

_Wait...if he's there, what do I say to him? He kissed me yesterday! Do I tell him that I...that I liked it?_ He questioned himself. Taking a deep breath, Makoto shoved open the door.

"Haru, I-" he began but stopped immediately. Haru wasn't there. The bathtub wasn't even wet.

In a slight panic, Makoto ran out of the bathroom and up the stairs, sticking his head into Haru's room, only to see that his bed was neatly made, and it looked like most of his things were gone.

_No, no, no..._ Makoto said in his mind as he ran back down the stairs. He went into the kitchen, looking for any sign that Haru could still be in the house. Turning to face the table, Makoto saw a piece of paper; a note. Walking hesitantly to it, he took a sit on the floor in front of the note, the spot he always sat in when he came over. The handwriting was beautiful and artistic, which did in fact suit Haru well. He picked up the note and began to read.

_Mako,_

_I'm sorry that I can't tell you where I'm going or why. I need to figure some things out, and I do not want to bother you, or the others, with it. I want you to know that you are special. You always have been, and I'm very grateful for you. I know that speaking isn't my strong point, but maybe I can get this across better in writing._

_Mako, you've known me almost my entire life. I don't know if you can feel it, but we have something more than a strong friendship. I hope I didn't ruin what we have. You've always been more important to me than anything. You make me feel complete, and now I can be happy._

_I am deeply sorry that I can't tell you where I'm going, but please just know that the thought of you always makes me happy._

_I hope I'll be back to see you soon._

_I love you._

_Haru_

Makoto read the last line over many time: _I love you._ Makoto did always feel a special connection to his best friend, but he wasn't sure if Haru had. And now that he had his answer, Haru was gone. His note made it seem like he might not return, and that scared the brunette. He sat that for a long time, staring at the note, until he noticed another paper under it. He moved the note away and his eyes went wide. Haru had drawn an absolutely beautiful picture of the two of them, holding hands and smiling. It was in amazing detail, as his drawings usually were. Even down the the strands of hair that sometimes fall into Makoto's face, and the minute lines that form near Haru's eyes when he smiles. At the bottom of the page he had written "You make me Free".

Makoto felt like the breathhad been stolen from his lungs, looking at the beautiful drawing and the meaningful words. Makoto always thought that the water made Haru feel "free" as he'd often expressed, and now Makoto can see the truth. They always swam together, always. The water and Makoto were almost a single entity that made Haru feel safe and loved. But how could Makoto love him now? The brunette was in this house. Quiet. Without Haru. Simply alone.

/

Haru walked through the doors of the hospital, his body being greeted with cold air. He shivered as he walked over to the front desk, eyes dull.

"Hello sir, name?" The woman behind the counter smiled up at him, almost in a too-friendly way.

"Haruka Nanase," Haru answered, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Oh! Dr. Oshiro was just talking about you. Please, follow me." The woman stood up, her curly blonde hair bouncing around her shoulders as she moved. Haru quietly walked beside her, uncomfortably walking passed various white doors in a long white hallway. He adjusted the backpack that he had brought with him, feeling pain setting in his shoulders. From the edge of his shirt collar, Haru could see the blackish-yellow of a bruise spreading over his shoulder.

"Dr. Oshiro is a nice guy and he knows what he's doing. You don't have to be nervous, Nanase-san." The nurse assured him.

"Haru." He said.

"Hmm?"

"Please call me Haru." The blue eyed boy said flatly. The nurse smiled more and nodded. They turned a corner and walked passed a couple more doors before stopping at one labeled "1-23".

"This will be where you're staying. If you want to go in and make yourself comfortable, Dr. Oshiro will be down soon." She smiled brightly before walking off, leaving Haru by himself. Sighing deeply, the freestyle swimmer pushed open the door and turned the light on. There was one bed in the room and two armchairs with a table between them. A television hung from the wall across from the bed, and there was one other door that Haru imagined led to a bathroom.

He walked in and closed the door, walking to the bed and setting his backpack down. Unzipping it, he immediately pulled out his favorite trinket; a small plastic dolphin charm that he and Makoto had gotten when they first started swimming. He set it on the small table that was attached to the bed and sat down. Exhaustion weighed heavily on Haru's mind. He rubbed his face a bit hard and looked around. He felt small, even in this room meant for one. He felt isolated, and completely alone.


	4. Chapter 4: It's Been a Week

Makoto sighed, quietly listening to Nagisa and Rei discuss what today's events would be. Haru had been gone for a week, and the brunette grew quieter with each passing day. Nagisa had decided that he should stop worrying, and that Haru was probably fine and having fun.

"I wonder if anyone is keeping him out of fish tanks." Nagisa mused, causing Makoto to chuckle just slightly. Makoto was thankful for the underclassman's humor and optimism, it made the days go by easier.

"Why don't we go to the city and go shopping today?" Rei offered trying to think of something that everyone would enjoy doing.

"That's fine with me." Makoto agreed, smiling a bit. Nagisa cheered excitedly and proceeded to skip along as they made their way to the train station.

/

Haru cringed at the needle being pressed into the small port that had been surgically placed beneath the skin on his chest. It was a painful and exhausting process, and Haru dreaded every second of it. A nurse had come in the previous day with a package for Haru, which ended up being from his parent. He had almost laughed when he opened it, almost smiled, but had only sighed. They had sent him a wig, partly as a joke and partly to make him losing all of his hair less awkward. He was wearing it today, glad that it had been styled the way that his hair had really been.

A wave of exhaustion washed over Haru as the chemicals from the needle were slowly pumped into his body. He longed to go swimming, to escape this pain and tiredness that he felt. But that was something he would not be able to do for a while.

_This sucks... But I need to get better... For Makoto..._ He thought before sleep overtook him.

/

Makoto found himself laughing and smiling more than he had since Haru left. Nagisa was being ridiculous, trying to convince Rei that penguins were beautiful after finding a stuffed animal of one.

"They are clearly disproportional!" Rei argued, showing Nagisa where the proportions of the toy were incorrect.

"It's soooo cute Rei-chan!" Nagisa replied loudly, taking the penguin and hugging it. Makoto smiled more, then glanced around the store. It was a small shop that sold animal-related items; stuffed animals, key chains, art, almost anything one found fathom that involved animals. Green eyes stopped as he gazed around, landing on two stuffed animals that had been placed beside each other; a graceful looking dolphin, and a powerful orca.

Makoto's smile slowly faded away as he thought of Haru and how he reminded Makoto Of a dolphin.

Nagisa and Rei looked over at Makoto, quieting at their friends lack of smiling. They quickly decided to go somewhere else, and led Makoto from the store.

/

Haru woke up around four in the afternoon, mind foggy and body sluggish. The urged himself to sit, taking a very long time to push himself up. A sigh of effort escaped him as he swum his kegs over the side of the bed and carefully stood up. Almost immediately upon standing, a disgusting wave of nausea hit the raven haired boy, sending him running into his small bathroom. Any food that had been in his stomach, which wasn't much because he hadn't had much of an appetite, was now gone. Groaning, Haru stood and flushed the toilet, leaning over the sink and splashing cool water over his face.

A shiver ran up his spine as he remembered that he hadn't put his shirt back on. Dark grey sweatpants were keeping his lower half a decent temperature, but this room was cold. Cautiously shuffling over to the bed, Haru picked his white t-shirt up and slid it on. He looked down, seeing that he was also not wearing socks, but decided that he did not care. The nurses had told him that if he felt alright, he was permitted to walk around the hospital, but only the first floor. Haru had agreed to the restrictions, as long as he wasn't confined to one room all day. Stretched his arms above his head, the swimmer felt his muscles quiver as he moved. It felt good to stretch, it reminded him of practice.

Walking quietly to his door, Haru exited the room, slowly wandering his way done a now familiar hallway. He often only went down this hall, it being the easier to navigate. He had passed the same doors everyday for a week, but had never gone all the way to the end of the hall. Today was different, though. He felt better today, regardless of having just emptied the contents of his stomach minutes before. He listed the names on the doors in his head as he walked.

_Hinata, Kaito, Akio, Hayate, Miku, Sayuri.._. He counted the names as he went on. Finally, he reached a long stretch of hallway that had a window instead of concrete wall. Peering in curiously, he saw children, bald headed and laughing, all playing in what he immediately assumed was a playroom. One child, appearing to be the youngest, looked up from what he was coloring with crayons, his sunset colored eyes locking with Haru's. In that moment, the child said something loudly enough to make the other children turn and see Haru on the other side of the window. Confusion spread across Haru's face as the kids all smiled brightly and waved at him. Awkwardly, he raised his hand and waved a bit back to them. The oldest looking children, a boy appearing to be about fourteen, quickly went over to the door and pushed it open. He poked his head out, grey eyes excited.

"Come in!" He said to Haru, smiling wide. Casting a glance back through the window, Haru turned toward the boy and walked to him.

/

As evening fell, the Iwatobi swim team stepped off their train and began their walk home. They'd decided that they would all spend the night at Rei's, since his parents were out of town and he hated to be alone.

"I wonder what Haru is doing." Makoto suddenly broke the silence that was strangely long lived.

"He's probably swimming!" Nagisa announced, making the other two laugh.

"That is probably the most likely answer." Rei added.

"He doesn't just swim though." Makoto put in, pushing his hands into his pockets.

"Oh?" Rei looked over at his friends.

"Yeah! Haru-chan loves to draw, and cook..." Nagisa began. Rei listened, obviously interested.

"He also likes to read and he can play music. He's good with anything involving his hands, really." Makoto shared. The other two gawked a bit.

"Haruka-senpai can play an instrument?" Rei asked, very interested.

"Actually he can play two. His parents made him learn piano when he was younger, and then he taught himself guitar." Makoto chuckled softly.

"Why doesn't he play for us then?" Nagisa whined. His magenta eyes shine with a want to hear the stoic boy play something.

"He gave up piano after he learned guitar, and then I guess he just stopped." The green eyed boy shrugged.

"Why did he stop?" Rei asked, curiosity getting the best of him. Makoto gave his friends a rather sad smile.

"I'm not sure."

/

Iruka*-kun, you draw so good!" The oldest of the three girls, a nine year old named Miku, said excitedly. The kids had begged Haru to play with them. And he'd managed to convince them to just let him draw. The outcome had been a very detailed drawing of all of the children as they played. The drawing was happy and warm, making Haru smile ever so slightly. He remembered the drawing he had left for Makoto, and he wondered if he had kept it.

The black haired boy stood up and grabbed some tape that was on a nearby counter, taping the drawing up on the wall so the kids could always see it. A nurse came in shortly after the drawing was placed on the wall, announcing to the children that it was time for bed. A few groans and complaints chorused through the room. The nurse appeared frustrated, and it seemed as though getting the kids back to their rooms must always be a hassle.

"The sooner you sleep, the sooner you can play tomorrow." Haru said, causing the children to all look at him.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" The boy named Hayate asked his purple eyes hopeful. Haru simply nodded and the kids cheered, eagerly exiting the room and going off to their individual rooms.

"Thank you, Haru-san." The nurse smiled. Haru shrugged, scanning the room once and noticing that the sunset eyed boy was still sitting in a chair quietly. His name was Akio, and he was four years old. Haru noticed that they had much in common, mostly in being quiet. Haru walked over to the boy and abruptly scooped him up, holding him like a baby against his chest. Akio looked panicked for a moment, before he settled against Haru's chest. The nurse smiled, eyes shining as he watched them.

"That's so sweet!" She cooed. Haru raised his eyebrows and silently walked past her, heading for the room he remembered to be Akio's. Entering the room, the older boy placed the smaller on the bed, tugging the blankets up around him. A question seemed to flash through Akio's eyes.

Will you really be back tomorrow? Those orange orbs asked. Haru merely nodded and gently rubbed the child's shoulder.

"I promise." He murmured before leaving the room.

The hallways were quiet as the patients were all preparing for bed at this time. Haru silently went back to his room and slid into bed, yanking the covers up to his chin. Thoughts of Makoto filled his tired mind. His warm smile and sweet voice... And his gorgeous eyes. Haru slowly fell asleep, the image of Makoto's smiling face never leaving his mind.

/

/

/

*Iruka- dolphin


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected Turn of Events

Makoto looked at the calendar in his kitchen, eyes a bit hopeful at seeing that two weeks had already passed since Haru left. They were half way to him being home again. The brunette walked out of the house, being immediately greeted by an over-enthusiastic blond tackling him with a hug.

"Good morning Mako-chan~!" He he chirped excitedly as he always Did. Rei stood behind Nagisa, smiling.

"Good morning, Makoto-senpai." He greeted. Makoto smiled warmly at both of them, patting Nagisa's head.

"Good morning Nagisa, Rei. What do we have planned for today?" He answered kindly. They were all quiet for a long moment as they considered what they should do.

"Let's go to the pool!" Nagisa suggested, bouncing a bit on his toes. Rei agreed and Makoto smiled more, agreeing as well. The backstroke swimmer assumed that they had all gotten Haru's strange habit of wearing his jammers under his pants rubbed off on them, as he could see Nagisa's and Rei's just above the hem of their pants. They walked along the beach, the path that Makoto and Haru walked every day to and from school. The ocean was quiet today, soft waves lapping at the sand. Nagisa chatted continuously about how excited he was to go to the pool, hugging onto Rei's arm as he spoke.

"We should have a race! I bet I could beat Rei-chan!" Nagisa challenged, his magenta eyes happy and determined.

"I do not think so, Nagisa-kun! I could beat you! Losing is not beautiful." Rei replied. Putting his free hand on his hip. Makoto couldn't help but laugh softly.

"I beat I could beat both of you." The tallest said. Rei and Nagisa looked at him with wide eyes, earning a challenging grin in return.

"You're on!"

/

Haru sat quietly in his room, trying to make himself get up. Today was one of those days where his body just wanted no part of moving. He felt like someone had replaced all of his muscles with lead, finding it difficult to so much as move his arm. He had noticed that his muscle mass had decreased ever so slightly over the two weeks he had been in the hospital, but he couldn't find it in him to attempt any kind of strengthening exercises (not like the nurses would allow him to workout anyway).

A soft knock came at the door, making Haru turn his head to watch it open. A small head peeked in, purple eyes worried.

"Hayate?" Haru asked, his vision bleary from drowsiness.

"Are you okay, iruka-kun? You haven't been in the playroom all morning." His voice was small and he looked down nervously as he spoke. Haru's eyes were soft, softer than they had been since he'd seen Makoto last.

"You can all come in here." Haru said, making Hayate perk up a bit. Haru couldn't help but smile at the boys shining eyes, watching him almost in a brotherly way.

"Really?" Upon relieving a nod from the older, Hayate ran from the room, Haru able to hear him calling for the others excitedly as he went. The raven haired boy never thought of himself as someone who would do well with kids, but what he is doing would make Makoto proud and he knew it.

/

"Nagisa do _not_ run around the pool! You'll get hurt!" Rei yelled to the blonde, who was racing around the pool in excitement. The brunette watched his smaller friend, shaking his head when Nagisa had gone his third lap around the pool. He was laughing and saying how running always pumped him up for a race.

"I'm going to be super fast!" He announced, still running around the perimeter of the water. Makoto chuckled softly before stepping closer to the pool. As Nagisa rounded a corner, the larger teen reached his arms out playfully to grab him.

"Come here, you!" Makoto laughed. Rei sighed and shook his head, deciding that stretching might be a good plan before a race. He watched his two friends as he stretched his arms out above his head, taking time to make sure each muscle was effectively stretched out.

Everything suddenly seemed to go in slow motion then. Rei watched as Makoto reached out for Nagisa for the third time, which made the blonde move sideways to dodge him. As he stepped, one foot caught the edge of the pool. Makoto panicked as Nagisa began to fall, reaching forward in an attempt to catch him, but it was too late. As one leg broke the surface of the water, the other slammed into the concrete with a disgustingly loud snap. Nagisa's shriek of pain was enveloped by the water as he went in.

Rei and Makoto immediately leaned over the pool and grabbed their friends arms. He was screaming and crying as they carefully hauled him out of the water, laying him down beside the pool. The blue haired teen glanced over at Nagisa's leg and paled. His shin bone was protruding slightly sideways; clearly broken.

/

"Can you tell us another story, iruka-kun?" Miku asked as all of the kids settled on Haru's bed. Akio crawled over to Haru, sitting himself in the oldest's lap. He considered for a moment, looking at each of the kids.

"What do you want to hear about?" He asked, his eyes tired but voice gentle as it always seemed to be with the children.

"Tell us one about swimming!" A younger boy named Kaito chirped.

"And your friends!" A quieter girl named Hinata added. Haru chewed his lower lip in thought, a bad habit he'd acquired since being here.

"Okay. I'll tell you about our regional swimming tournament."

/

Makoto and Rei rushed into the hospital with Nagisa, who was crying quite loudly.

"Mako-chan, Rei-chan it _hurts_!" Nagisa wailed, gripping the sheets of the stretcher he was on. One of the paramedics was speaking to a nurse, trying to figure out a room to put the smaller boy in.

"I know, Nagisa, but you have to relax. They can't help you if you're moving all over the place." Makoto offered, a comforting smile on his face. The breaststroke swimmer whimpered and nodded, trying to stay still as the paramedics wheeled him down the hall to a room where he'd be examined.

"Are you two with him?" A female voice asked behind Makoto. Rei turned first, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

"Indeed." He replied shortly. Makoto couldn't help but smile. It was blatantly obvious that Rei held deep feelings for Nagisa, and his curtness was definitely a sign of worry.

"I'll take you to where you can wait for him. Follow me," she said with a smile. The nurse was rather short, her long brown hair tied up in a ponytail at the back of her head. They followed her to a large seating area with a television mounted on the wall, and an area for children to play in. There were a few other people there, but now many. Probably parents waiting for the children to return from a room.

Makoto and Rei took seats beside each other, remaining quiet for a long time.

"Makoto-senpai, I can't sit here and wait. Would you like to attempt to locate a vending machine with me?" The butterfly swimmer asked.

"Sure, I could use a drink!" Makoto smiled warmly, like always, and stood up with his friend. Together, they walked around a corner, standing for a moment to consider the three hallway options.

"Straight, left, or right?" Makoto asked, scratching the back of his head in consideration.

"Well, theoretically-," Makoto looked at Rei with some amusement, causing him to sigh. "Right. Let's go right." He sighed in mock exasperation, pushing his glasses up on his nose. Makoto chuckled softly and began walking beside his friend.

/

Kaito had gotten off the bed during the story, walking idly around the room and listening. Haru kept a close eye on him though, as the child had an issue with suddenly bolting. The teen never asked why Kaito would randomly beginning sprinting down the hall, or why he had sudden mood changes. It could be any number of things. Suddenly, the sirens of an ambulance echoed through the halls, making all of the kids jump. Haru, now instinctively, but Akio down on the bed and got up. Kaito had began to fidget, and as the sirens grew louder, he looked more and more frightened.

"Come sit down, Kaito." Haru said softly. The boy, amber eyes glowing with anxiousness and fear, shook his head and turned, running out the door. Cursing softly under his breath, Haru urged his body to run. Exhaustion tugged at his mind, but he couldn't let this kid get hurt or lost.

/

"Hey, Makoto?"

"Yeah, Rei?" Makoto looked at the blue haired boy, who was looking a bit at the ground.

"Have you heard from Haruka-senpai yet? this is the third week he's been gone and he said he was returning after that." Rei asked, unsure if it were an appropriate thing to ask. Makoto sighed softly, his usual bright eyes growing slightly dull.

"No, I haven't." He replied softly, his smile turning sad. "But he'll be back soon." He added quickly, seeing Rei's shoulders drop a bit.

"Yeah but-," Rei began but stopped immediately as he saw a small child darting down the hallway. "What in the world..?" He mumbled. Makoto laughed a bit, curious too as to why this kid, bald headed and laughing, would be running down the hallway of a hospital.

"You can't catch me, iruka-san!" The child laughed as he ran, looking behind him. The boy kept running until his small body solidly met Rei's, sending the kid backwards on the floor. Rei scrambled in shock to help the fallen boy up, but when he tried, the boy started crying.

Immediately preceding the boys cries, a much taller black haired boy rounded the corner, his eyes fixed on the child who was crying.

"Kaito, you shouldn't be..." The boy stopped speaking as he realized who the child had run into. Luminous blue eyes met emerald green and light violet, and he froze. Makoto's mouth fell open a bit, and Rei seemed to be in shock.

"H-Haru?"


	6. Chapter 6: Why Didn't You Tell Me?

Makoto looked Haru over as he came closer and scooped Kaito up in his arms. He wore a long sleeved white shirt, and dark grey sweatpants. His hair was a bit messy, and he looked tired and...small. The shirt looked much too big for him, hanging a bit down his shoulder to reveal his collarbone.  
"Haruka-senpai, what are you doing here?" Rei asked after a long moment. Haru was hugging Kaito to his chest firmly, mumbling something gently and calmly to the quieting child.  
"It's...a long story. Why are _you_ here?" Haru countered, eyes guarded. Makoto was taken aback by his best friends seeming lack of trust.  
"Nagisa broke his leg. They're setting it now and getting him fixed up." Makoto replied, watching Haru carefully.  
"Iruka-kun! Where'd you go? Story-time isn't over!" A small feminine voice called out down the hallway. Makoto looked into Haru's eyes, confusion flooding through his own. Haru simply looked away, a gesture that Makoto had been so familiar with, but now seemed evasive.  
"Hold on, Miku." Haru replied, his voice monotonous like usual.  
"Why do they call you iruka?" Rei asked, clearly having been very observant.  
"Long story." Haru replied coldly.  
"We have time." Makoto said, his eyes stubborn and a bit dull. It hurt Haru to lie to his friends, especially Makoto, whom he'd kissed before he left... Haru sighed, giving in and being much too exhausted to argue. Rei and Makoto exchanged a brief look of confusion at Haru giving up so easily, and then turned back to him.  
"Come with me." Haru turned and began walking, still holding Kaito in his arms, who had begun to fall asleep. Makoto and Rei exchanged an unbelievably confused look before following the freestyle swimmer. They rounded a corner and saw the little girl who must've called Haru standing out a door. Her face brightened as she saw Haru and she skipped happily into the room, announcing that 'iruka-kun' was back. Small cheers echoed in the room and Makoto and Rei seemed even more confused than before, if that were possible. Haru entered the room first, then Makoto and Rei together.  
"Haru, what..?" Makoto began, staring in bewilderment at the five kids sitting on a hospital bed in a group, having a big spot open in front of them where Haru must've been sitting.  
"This is Makoto and Rei," Haru said to them, voice still emotionless. The kids gasped in excitement.  
"Like from your stories?" A boy asked he seemed to be about 6 years old. Haru merely nodded and moved to climb onto the bed, reclaiming his spot and cradling Kaito in his lap.  
"Mako, Rei, if you could, um...sit for a few minutes? I was doing something..." Makoto noticed a pink tinge in Haru's cheeks, like he was embarrassed.  
"But Haru, can't you-," Makoto began, just wanting to know why in the world Haru was in this hospital. He was immediately shushed by the five children who were still awake.  
"It's story time!" A different little girl, maybe 4 years old, insisted. Makoto sighed in frustration and sat down, Rei silently sitting with him. The two swimmers noticed Haru's face drop, like seeing Makoto angry at him physically hurt him. The brunette wanted to feel bad for it, but he just couldn't. He was confused, and uneasy about this entire situation.  
"Where did I leave off..?" Haru's voice was much quieter than normal.  
"Makoto was just about to jump into the water!" the first little girl reminded him. Something in Makoto shifted then. They were talking about him?  
"Oh, right. So, the bell rang and Makoto leapt back into the water. The water went all around him and he pushed himself toward the end, Momo right beside him. He reached the wall and pushed off hard, Momo catching up quickly. He swam hard with the water, and the second his hand touched the wall, Nagisa leapt in." Haru was telling the story of their relay at regionals, and Makoto found himself listening intently. Rei seemed to be just as interested, as his eyes never left Haru. Upon the end of the story, the kids cheered, as if the team had just own right in front of them. As if on cue, a nurse knocked on the door and walked in.  
"Okay kids, it's time to go back to your rooms." She said sweetly, coming over and gently lifting Kaito from Haru's lap. The kids groaned in protest and climbed off the bed, except for one small boy.  
"Bye, iruka-kun!" The children said in unison, smiling. As they filed out of the room, the boy that remained crawled over to Haru.  
"What's wrong, Akio?" The nurse asked him, but he simply plopped himself in Haru's lap, eyes pleading. Makoto watched the scene, trying hard not to smile as Haru gently rubbed the boys' arms.  
"He'd like to do his treatment with mine, again. He says it's less scary." Haru explained. Rei leaned closer to Makoto to whisper in his ear.  
"It seems like they're telepathic, just like you and Haruka-senpai." He mused. Makoto chuckled very softly, his anger forgotten for now. The nursed sighed and nodded, carrying Kaito out of the room before anything else was said.  
"Treatment?" Makoto asked, eyes narrowing a bit.  
"Yeah, treatment." He mumbled. Haru looked gently to the boy, who obediently lifted his arms.  
"Haruka-senpai, why are you here?" Rei finally demanded, voice cold and harsh. Said boy was lifting Akio's shirt off, gently placing it on the bed beside them before tugging his own off over his head. He lay back in the bed, Akio almost instinctively tucking himself between Haru's arm and side. Makoto's eyes slid slowly over Haru's body. He looked smaller, but his muscle was still nicely defined. He felt his cheeks heat up slightly.  
"About a year and a half ago, I started feeling very tired." Haru started, not looking at his friends, who had gotten deathly silent to listen. "It wasn't normal. Usually I'm wide awake, just distant. But you both know that. After that started, I kept feeling myself not being hungry as much, or eating a lot at once." Haru was interrupted when he nurse came back in, carrying a large tray with a frightening assortment of needles, vials, and bags of what seemed to be water.  
"Are you two ready?" The nurse asked, placing the metal tray on the bedside table.  
"Yeah." Haru replied, holding Akio close against him. Akio whimpered and hid his face in Haru's shoulder, his small body trembling. The raven haired boy continued speaking as the nurse set up all of her equipment.  
"After a while I decided to go to the doctor. They just told me it was stress. So I went home and dealt with it." He said more, stopping only to hold Akio's arm still while a small IV was inserted into his arm. After his was in, Haru offered up his own arm, hardly flinching at the much larger needle sliding under his skin.  
"Then all of the bruising started, a few months after. This one," he lifted his hand to touch a particularly dark splotch that was on his shoulder blade, having to turn a bit for Makoto and Rei to see, "happened yesterday." Haru saw Makoto wince and his eyes went wide, Rei had covered his mouth with his hand in surprise, studying Haru carefully.  
"So I went to the doctor again. And now I'm here." He finished, shortly and as if it were something embarrassing that he never wanted to speak of. Makoto watched the nurse lean a bit over Haru, a needle connected to a small tube in her delicate fingers. Haru looked up at her, then away, finding it uncomfortable to look anywhere in the room. Akio watched quietly, eyes fixed on the needle as the woman, pressed it down into a small circular budge in Haru's chest. Makoto looked curiously at that spot, keeping it in mind to ask about later. Pain swelled in Haru's clear eyes, a pain the Makoto and Rei hadn't seen before. But as soon as Haru realized they noticed, he shut away his emotions and fought with the pain to keep it out of his features.  
"Haruka-senpai, you did not answer my question." Rei finally said, unable to stand the awkwardness in the room. Haru simply looked down at Akio, holding the child tightly as the nurse prepared his own small needle.  
"Haru," Makoto spoke, his green eyes darkening. "Why are you here?" He demanded. Haru looked up at him, his ocean eyes dulling to a pale and tired blue. He looked exhausted, beyond anything the swimmers had seen. Makoto didn't seem to notice that his anger was actually getting the best of him. He didn't noticed that Haru seemed to shrink away under his gaze, though his cold expression stayed.  
"My father had leukemia as a child. It turns out, that it is passed genetically." Haru replied, turning back to Akio, and holding the small boys hands. The black haired boy mumbled softly to him as the nurse pressed the needle into his smaller circular lump in his chest. Akio cried out in pain, whimpers and struggling against Haru's hold, thought Haru was clearly stronger than the four year old. Makoto and Rei watched for a long time, until Akio's crying exhausted him into sleep.  
"I'm going to put him back in his room." The nurse said gently. Haru seemed reluctant to let go of the boy, but he did and helped situate him in the nurses' arms as best he could. She left the room with him, pushing a small machine in front of her that had the fluid bag and another one that were being put into the child. When she left, Rei began to speak.  
"Why wouldn't you tell us that Haruka-senpai? It's...extremely important!" He seemed to struggle to find appropriate words, but Haru just looked away.  
"Haruka," Makoto's voice was low and angry, "why did you not tell us?" Haru winced at Makoto saying his full name, but he still did not reply. Rei sighed in aggravation and stood up.  
"Makoto-senpai, I am going to see if Nagisa-kun is ready for visitors." He informed the green eyed boy before exiting the room. Now the tension was clearly felt. Haru looked at Makoto upon hearing his best friend stand up. The larger boy was standing beside the bed now, staring down at Haru.  
"How could you not tell me?" His voice was scarily quiet.  
"I didn't want to worry you." Haru answered, his face still keeping its stoic expression. Those blue eyes that Makoto loved, they were guarded and dull. The green eyed boy didn't seem warm or inviting, and why should he?  
_I lied to him... I shouldn't have..._ Haru thought, disappointment in himself spreading wildly.  
"And you honestly thought that just leaving for a month would be better? Leaving and not even keeping in contact with me? And then I find you here. Did you ever think about that happening? Haru, did you even _think_?" Makoto was angry. It was obvious, and it hurt the boy who was being loomed over with anger by his best friend.  
"Mako, I-," Haru started, the heart monitor that was read Haru's vital signs was beginning to beep quicker.  
"No, Haru, I don't want to hear an apology."  
The beeping grew faster. Makoto gripped the small metal railing to the bed, his knuckles going white at holding them so tightly.  
"But Mako, please-" Haru almost sounded desperate. His face was slowly growing more and more pained, and his eyes were welling up with tears. Haru noticed that something felt wrong, but he tried to ignore it. Anxiety and fear were building up inside him, and it was a distantly familiar feeling.  
"No! Haruka, I don't want to hear it. I..." Makoto's hands were shaking as he gripped the metal.  
The heart monitor beeped erratically, getting Makoto's attention for only a moment before he turned back to Haru.  
"Mako," Haru begged.  
"I hate you, for lying to me!" Makoto let all of his anger, sadness, worry, and fear pour into the words. Haru was shaking, and sweating. The black haired boy's eyes were wide, and it seemed as if his entire world had been shattered by three words. He had never in his entire left felt so utterly _broken_.  
_I hate you._  
Two nurses ran in suddenly, one shoving Makoto to the door, and the other running to Haru.  
"I'm sorry sir, but you have to leave _now_." The nurse that was pushing him commanded, more forcefully than she pushed him. Makoto was looking uncomfortably down at the nurse, trying to ask what was going on, when another machine began to beep wildly. Makoto looked up from her and felt his stomach tighten horribly, like it was about to rip a whole through him.  
Haru was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes wide and darting quickly around the room, though not seeming to actually perceive anything. His jaw was clenched shut, and he looked stiff, however his body was trembling hard and hysterically. Before Makoto was shut out of the room, he saw a nurse plunge a syringe into the muscle between Haru's neck and shoulder. As he stood outside the door, the machines slowed, very gradually, until they sounded regular.

Makoto couldn't comprehend what had just happened. He stood, facing the door, for an incredibly long moment before picking his phone up out of his pocket. He typed in a number and hit "talk", the line ringing a few times before being answered.

_"__Hello? Mako?"_

"Rin, did you know?" Makoto could feel his hands shaking.

_"__Did I know what?"_ Rin sounded slightly aggravated, and Makoto could imagine his scowl.

"That Haru is in the hospital?" the anger was seeping back into the brunette's voice, however now his voice was cracking. Eyes welling with tears, he tried to hold in his cries.

_"__What?! Mako, why-,"_ and the line went dead. Whether it was from poor cell reception or Rin hanging up, Makoto didn't care. He broke down, tears rolling down his cheeks, and distraughtly attempted to find the restroom.

_Haru, why…? Why wouldn't you tell me…?_


End file.
